


Felino Diavolo

by glitz_scream (orphan_account)



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-06-08
Updated: 2011-10-20
Packaged: 2017-10-10 00:25:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/glitz_scream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Total AU crackfic. Tommy is a Felino Diavolo [Cat Demon], and in a world where demons are known, even if they are not always accepted, he doesn't have to hide it. There are people who shun him, and would hurt him because of it though, so he seeks out someone who can protect him. Instead, he ends up being part of a band that's all about glitter, glam, sex, and rock 'n roll. Over time he finds himself falling for the gorgeous, if infuriating, singer who has the voice of an angel and the touch of a god. Thus, he finds something pure and unbreakable, and a safer place to be himself than he ever could have wished for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Just to let everyone know, the "explicit" rating is an overall rating. I'll add seperate ratings per chapter in these notes at the beginning of each new post. I will also add warnings as they come up, since none of the archive warnings apply, but I still want to let people know the content so they can skip it if they don't like it. It's going to get pretty kinky... ;)  
> This chapter is rated: Teen and Up Audiences  
> Disclaimer: Fake story about real people. No profit is being made and no disrespect is intended. This is, however, my intellectual property, so please don't repost this anywhere, any way, without my express permission, and definitely don't tweet it to the people mentioned in it. Thanks.  
> Also, this is set mostly in California, and since I've never been there, let me know if I make any huge Cali-related mistakes...or, ya know, any huge mistakes in general.  
> Hope you enjoy!

Prologue

Burbank, California  
October 18, 1981

It was a quiet, warm night. Dried leaves whispered along the side of the street, and an old newspaper fluttered at the entrance of an alley. There was a strange, electrical quality to the air, as though a storm was brewing, but the sky was clear, the stars vaguely visible above the glow of the street lamps. Everyone, well, almost everyone, was in bed, so the streets were quiet, save for the slithering, hissing sounds of things that are born of the dark. It was not a pretty place, but it was somewhere for many good people to call home, no matter how imperfect it was.

The light a few feet from the alley flickered, as though it could sense what was to come, and was nervous. It didn't go out though, not that it would have made a difference; the light didn't reach much farther than a foot into the alley before it tapered off and was defeated by the darkness. The alley itself was choked with weeds, newspapers, and garbage; all the stuff that civilization didn't want that the wind carried into stray corners, hidden away so as not to offend anyone. Every so often though, a cleaning crew, usually people doing community service for petty crimes, would come through and clean it up, try to make it somewhat more inviting. Not that it made much difference: it wasn't an alley that anyone ever went into if they could help it.

At the rear of the alley, in the pitch black, unseen and unheard by anything save spiders and decrepit rats, a baby began to cry. It was a heartbreaking, lonely, hungry sound, rising from under a crumpled pile of newspapers that started to shiver and shake as the baby began to move. Finally, after a struggle that threatened to dislodge the newspapers, a tiny hand emerged, followed by a head with eyes still squeezed shut. Slowly, the whole body emerged to reveal a baby boy, crying for warmth and food, alone in a dirty, dark alley.

If someone were to look closely though, they would see that he wasn't a normal baby. As his eyes blinked open, slit pupils were revealed, and, instead of soft, miniscule fingernails, he had sharp claws at the ends of his tiny fingers.

As he lay there in the alley, the strange baby boy's cries grew more insistent, more desperate when no on responded. His mouth opened in a heart wrenching wail that died into a pitiful mewl. A stray cat passing by paused at the entrance of the alley, its fur raising in alarm, sensing something kin, yet worlds unfamiliar in the noise. There was something cat-like down there, but it was darker, unknown. The cat hurried on. Back in the alley the baby paused in his crying for a moment, almost seeming to hold his breath in the hopes that whatever was at the entrance would discover him. But the moment passed, and he was left alone again. His cries continued, growing quieter, more hopeless as the hours went by. The rats, who had skittered away in fright when the baby first emerged, began to creep out again, curious, hoping for a meal. They crept close, beady eyes shifting, bodies tense and ready to run at any moment. The now silent baby went still, sensing the rodents drawing nearer, knowing instinctively the possibility of food. When one rat, braver than the rest, or perhaps just hungrier, brushed against his hand he grabbed. It was a lightning quick move, impossible for a human baby, and the rat squeaked its own death toll. Moments later the alley was silent again, the rodents having learned their lesson, and the baby satisfied for now. As the dark lightened into day, and shadows became more distinct, the world seemed to breathe a sigh of anticipation: the newest Felino Diavolo had been born.


	2. Changes [For the Better?]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy starts school, realizes his secret may not be as safe as he thought, and deals with the stress of change.
> 
> Yep, I pretty much suck at summaries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter rated: Teen and Up Audiences  
> Warings: Crack [obviously], a little bit of foul language  
> Disclaimer: Fake story about real people. No profit is being made and no disrespect is intended. This is, however, my intellectual property, so please don't repost this anywhere, any way, without my express permission, and definitely don't tweet it to the people mentioned in it. Thanks.

_Burbank, California  
September 1995_

"Tommy…,Tommy! It's time to come in now. C'mon sweetie, dinner is ready."

A young boy, the one addressed as Tommy, shifted from where he lay under a tree, curled up in the late August sun. He stretched, body elongating and arching gracefully, arms above his head with fingers splayed. A contented purring sound dragged itself from his throat as he rose to his feet, rolling his shoulders to work out the last cricks and kinks.

The woman who had called to him, Dia by name, stood on the porch, watching him walk towards her, a soft smile on her face. He had grown well in the past three years, transitioning from the silent, mistrustful, defensive eleven-year-old he was when they found him, filthy, living on the streets, alone save for a make-shift family of rag-tag petty criminals, to a stoic, intelligent fourteen-year-old who was beginning to grow into the ethereal beauty his elfish structure had always promised. Next week he would be starting high school, and while Dia knew his looks and character would draw the attention of both girls and boys, she feared he would become an outcast when they learned what he was. He had been insistent though, wanting, no, needing to be as normal as possible, and if that was what he needed then all she could do was step back, let him go, and hope for the best. She didn't want him to get hurt, but she knew she couldn't protect him forever.

He had reached the porch, and she absently reached up to tousle his hair, lightly scratching behind the soft, small kitten ears on top of his head.

"Mo-om!" he whined, even as he pushed into her hand.

She laughed softly, eyes crinkling with good humour, and he pushed her shoulder gently, a teasing exchange between mother and son.

As the week drew to a close, Tommy could feel a nervous anticipation growing in his stomach. He didn't show it though, not wanting to worry Dia any more than she already was. He knew well how cruel people could be; he had experienced it firsthand, though he never told his mother that. It didn't particularly worry him though, because he knew he could handle himself if the need arose. Dia though; he knew she was afraid for him. After years of working as part of a young demon protection, rehabilitation program, she had seen the awful, horrifying things that humans did out of fear-bred hate. So he hid his nervousness, focusing instead on making sure he was as prepared as possible. He also had another trick to distract his mind: sitting on the roof outside his bedroom window, playing guitar until the sky began to lighten with the coming dawn.

Music had always been a sort of meditation for him. When it was just him, the night, and his guitar, the cares of the world couldn't touch him. It was like a private world, a portal to another dimension, where all his worries melted away in the velvety arms of darkness, and the sweet seduction of the music. When he was in that place it never mattered that he was different.  
On the eve of the first day of the new school year, Tommy was curled in his bed, buried in a nest of blankets, sheets, and pillows. His eyes were shut, but his body was tense, strung tighter that the strings of his guitar. He tried to force himself to relax, knowing he needed the sleep, but no matter how he rationalized it, sleep eluded him. There was no logic to the new fear either; nothing had changed. In the morning he would make his way to the formidable building he had almost unconsciously been walking past every day the past week, only this time it would be filled with students. That was ok though, he wouldn't be the only fresh meat, and he could look after himself, unlike some of the other Home-school kids who practically still held their mother's hands, and were so socially awkward they could barely string together two sentences In the presence of strangers. He wasn't like that, not at all. Sure, he didn't talk much, but he could carry on a conversation when he needed to. So why the new fear? He didn't have an answer for that.

When his limbs started to cramp from his tightly curled position he shifted onto his back, lying flat out, eyes open and staring blindly at the ceiling. In his peripheral vision he could see his guitar where it was balanced against his closet door. Knowing by now that sleep was futile anyways, and needing a distraction from the rampant, gnawing butterflies, he rolled out of bed, grabbed the instrument, and slipped out his window onto the roof. With practiced ease he tuned the strings, feeling the guitar come alive under his fingers as he picked out a soft melody only his soul knew. Within minutes he was in his private world where reality, and the fear it brought, couldn't touch him. When Dia came into his room the next morning to wake him up, she found him curled on the roof in the early morning sun, his head resting on his guitar case, the guitar cradled in his arms.

 

_Tuesday, September 5, 1995_

If Tommy thought the school was formidable when he had walked past it in the week before classes started, it was nothing to how he felt now. Students passed him as he stood in front of the building, staring, and trying to talk himself out of the irrational desire to run the hell away. Taking a breath, squaring his shoulders his shoulders, he moved forward, following the flow. When he reached the doors he lifted his hands to his head, making sure his hat was secure, and made a conscious effort to make sure his claws remained retracted under his nails. He didn't need people talking about him and avoiding him like the plague on his first day of school.

He knew from the times he had walked past it that the school was big, but that didn't prepare him for the maze-like quality which was only made worse by the other students, and the staff. Every way he looked there was people, doors, hallways, stairs, and more people. His gut tightened even more, the butterflies erupting in earnest, threatening to overwhelm him and send him running to the nearest bathroom. He held those feelings down though, and looked around for someone who might be able to help him find his way to his homeroom. He really didn't want to be late on his first day of school.

Finally, when it looked as though no one was going to stop and help a lost new kid, Tommy started moving again…and ran right into a guy going in the opposite direction. He began to stutter out an apology, but the guy just grunted and shoved him aside, uncaring. Tommy felt his claws slip out at the rough treatment, and he forced himself to relax. He wasn't the only stressed one, and he didn't need to be picking a fight with someone who was twice his size. So he joined the flow instead, keeping an eye out for anyone who looked marginally approachable. There was no such luck though. Everyone was huddled in pre-determined groups, or walking with their head down, trying to hide the fact that they were alone, like Tommy. He sighed and pushed onwards, weaving through the thinning crowds. He hadn't gotten very far though, before the feeling of a hand on his shoulder stopped him cold.

"Shit man, you move fast! Jesus Christ!"

"Uh, what the hell?" Tommy spun around, and came face to face with a boy who looked to be his age.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," the boy said. "But I though you might wanna know that your hat slipped."

Tommy's hands flew up, frantically straightening the hat. He could feel that his claws had slipped out again, a seemingly uncontrollable reaction to a possible threat. The other boy had noticed too.

"Relax, it's ok. Don't kill yourself over it. Just be more careful, because most people aren't as chill with this demon stuff as I am."

Tommy was still wary, but he let his claws slide back in, stuffing his hands in his pockets as though to hide the evidence.

"No one was supposed to know," he said, voice little more than a whisper.

"Hey, hey," the boy put his hand on Tommy's arm. "It'll be our little secret, ok? I'm not gonna tell anyone, I promise."

"Well I can't hide it forever anyways. I just didn't think anyone would find out on the first day of school," Tommy's voice was self-deprecating. At least the contacts he was wearing to hide his slit pupils wouldn't fall out without warning.

"I'm the only one who knows, and it doesn't bother me. And no one else needs to know unless you wanna tell them."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for telling me about the hat," Tommy attempted a smile.

"No problem, man. I'm Christian, by the way," the boy said, dropping his hand from Tommy's arm, and instead holding it out for him to shake.

Tommy shook it. "I'm Tommy."

"Cool," the boy grinned. "Well I'm gonna get to class, so I'll see ya around."

"Yeah, see ya," Tommy agreed, as Christian turned and walked away. "Hey, wait! Do you know where room 222 is?"

Christian paused and looked over his shoulder. "Yeah, it's upstairs somewhere."

"Ok, thanks…"

Tommy turned and headed for the stairs, going as fast as he dared, hoping against hope that he wasn't too terribly late.

It seemed that luck was on his side, because when he burst through the classroom door, the only eyes that focused on him were those of his classmates; the teacher hadn't yet arrived.

"You're lucky," hissed the girl who he sat next too. "Mrs. Sanford just left to get some forms for the newbies to fill out, and she hasn't done attendance yet."

"Thank fuck!" Tommy let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Yeah, you better. She's one step off psycho-bitch," the girl said, popping her bubblegum in an obnoxious manner.

Tommy laughed, and the girl raised an eyebrow.

"No, I'm serious. She's crazy, and if you don't do what she wants when she wants, she'll have your balls on a cutting board before you know what hit you. Most kids think she's some sort of demon, but I think she's just an angry closet case," the girl's laugh was cruel, and Tommy flinched, hating the way she spat out the word demon as though it was a nasty taste on her tongue. This was going to be a long year.

Just then the teacher swept in, and the class went silent.

"Ok everybody, listen up, because I'm only explaining this once! These are forms for all students to fill out if you want a picture to bring home. If you're just getting a picture for your ID tag you don't have to fill them out. Is that clear? Are there any questions?"

"See what I mean," the girl whispered, leaning over to Tommy.

He shifted away ever so slightly, and shook his head. "She doesn't seem that bad."

The girl smirked. "Just wait. Here she comes."

"Wha-" the rest of Tommy's reply was cut off as a hand slammed down on his desk, making him squeak and jump in his seat.

"Care to share your conversation with the rest of the class?" Mrs. Sanford asked.

Tommy shook his head.

"Good! Then fill out the form, pronto! I want them back before you leave at the end of the day!"

"Yes ma'am."

"Get to it then!"

When she was gone Tommy shot a glare at the girl next to him. All he got in return was an eye roll and another obnoxious snap of her gum. He decided that he was just going to ignore her from then on. He didn't need the stress of a trouble maker, demon hater in his life, and he only really had to put up with her for fifteen minutes every morning, and an hour on Monday. It wasn't that bad, was it? He shook his head and prepared himself to face the rest of his day.

By the time the bell had gone, signalling the end of classes for the day, Tommy was more than ready to go home and never leave his room again. Dodging the crowds once again, he found his way to the front doors without getting too turned around, and wondered if he should take a bus. Just the thought made panic start to flare in his stomach though, so he quickly cast aside that idea in favour of walking. After all, his house wasn't even far enough away to warrant him taking the bus. So he started the trek home, glad to be leaving the school behind, even if he had to go back the next day.

And so the year passed, the days getting a little easier as he adjusted to the new rhythm of his life. He had no real friends [even Christian, the only one he knew besides his family who accepted him, was nothing more than a casual acquaintance], but he didn't need them, even though he sometimes thought it would be nice to have someone to hang out with on the weekends, to show him how a normal teenager lived. He had all but given up hope of that though, because something about him seemed to keep people at a distance, even if he put forth the effort to be open to them, but one Saturday in February changed everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just info for anyone who's interested: I'm using a real life calendar, so specific dates, like Tommy's first day of school, actually are the correct dates.


	3. The Most Unlikely Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read on and find out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I actually have 4.5 chapters of this, but last time I tried to post on here it got all screwed up. Then I kind of forgot about it until tonight. I hope you enjoy it, and as usual, comments and concrit are awesome! :)

Burbank, California  
February, 1996

The day was rainy and cold, the puddles on the road soaking into Tommy’s shoes as he hurried along the street. He was walking with his head down, hood and hat almost hiding his face from view, but his eyes were alert as they always were. Music was pouring from his headphones into his human ears, all but deafening him to outside noise, but his cat ears could still pick up sound if need be.

He was on his way back from the video store where he had picked up a couple movies for that night, and his house was just on the next street. There was a little park across from him, and usually it was filled with the sound of screaming, happy children. Today though, it stood lonely and sodden, and Tommy felt it was a good metaphor for his life. As he paused to take in the silent park his nostrils twitched and he picked up a sharp, ugly scent on the air. Narrowing his eyes and swivelling his cat ears forward he stepped out onto the street. Spray from a passing car soaked him and he jumped a little at the sound of a horn, giving the irate driver the finger. When he reached the park the wet grass squished beneath his feet and he shivered. Ascending the slight incline and peering through the branches of a scraggly tree he gasped and reeled back in shock as the smell hit him full force. It was the smell of fear, of anger, of hate, and pain, and while every feline instinct in him told him to run, his humanity wouldn’t allow him to move.

Carefully he parted the tree branches again, and took in the sight below him. At first he could see nothing out of place, but his super-sensitive hearing picked up pained noises coming from across the playground. With one last cautious look around he descended the hill and made his way over to the teeter-totters. On the ground beneath them someone was curled up in the fetal position, shivering. Tommy crouched next to them, and gasped in shock when they looked up at him.

“Christian? What happened?”

“They came out of nowhere! I don’t know…I don’t know…” he trailed off, and Tommy looked around, all senses heightened with fear, the hairs at the back of his neck prickling as though someone was watching them.

“Ok, ok…take it easy. Here, can you stand up?” Tommy held out his hand.

“I think so. Fuck! Those assholes are gonna get what’s coming to them one day!” he gripped Tommy’s hand and held on tightly as they stood up. Once vertical he swayed dangerously, and Tommy shifted to hold him up.

“Are you sure about this? And what assholes exactly?”  
“Yeah, I’m sure. I can’t lie on the ground all night can I? I’d fucking freeze to death. And the assholes I’m talking about are the - ” his breath hitched in pain. “ - the thugs from school. Those three fuckheads from the football team. Ya know?” Tommy nodded and they slowly began making their way across the park and back up the hill. Once they were at the road again Christian let go of Tommy and stepped back, eyes shifting away nervously.

“Um…thanks for the help man, that was decent of you.”

“What? You think I would’ve left you there? Fuck that!”

“Anyone else would’ve.”

“Yeah? Well I’m not just anyone.”

Christian huffed out a pained laugh. “You got that right, Demoni.”

“Don’t call me that!” Tommy snapped, glaring at him.

“Whoa! Sorry!” the injured boy held a hand up in surrender, wrapping the other around his torso, wincing.

Tommy immediately regretted his outburst. “No, don’t worry ‘bout it. Sorry for freaking out. We should probably get you to the hospital or something.”

“It’s cool, man. I don’t blame ya. I don’t need a hospital though. Just need to go home and take some painkillers, sleep. Mmm…bed sounds amazing right now.”

Tommy blushed involuntarily. “Ok. Well how far is your house.”

“A few blocks away.”

“Dude, you’re not gonna make it walking. How ‘bout we go to my house and you can crash there until someone can pick you up?”

Christian nodded, slinging his arm over Tommy’s shoulder again for support. “Lead on. Anywhere that I can lie down is fine with me.”

Slowly they began the painful walk to Tommy’s house, stopping frequently to let Christian rest. What should have taken five minutes dragged on to twenty, and when they finally arrived and got into the living room, Christian sank gratefully onto the couch.

“I’ll go get some ibuprofen or something for you. Do you have a phone so you can call someone?”

The injured boy nodded and reached into his pocket for his cell. As he flicked through his contacts Tommy went into the bathroom cabinet to get the painkillers. When he got back Christian was talking to someone.  
“…Tommy’s and was wondering if you could come pick me up? …Ok, thanks. One sec and I‘ll get you the address.” He looked up at Tommy, and when he got the information he needed he relayed it to the person on the other end. “Ok, I’ll see you in a few.” He ended the call and looked up at the other boy again.

“Here’s something that should help.” Tommy handed him a couple Advil and a glass of water.

“Thanks man. My sister is gonna be here in about half an hour.”

“Ok.” Tommy sat down next to him and turned on the TV. For the next while they amused themselves with MTV, until the doorbell interrupted the show that was playing. Tommy got up to answer it. Standing outside was a girl older than him by a few years, with a striking resemblance to Christian.

“You must be Tommy. I’m Nicole.”

“Uh…yeah, I’m Tommy. Nice to meet you. You’re Christian’s sister?”

“Yeah. Where is he?”

“Inside, on the couch. D’you wanna come in for a minute?”

“Sure, thanks.” She stepped inside, looking around. When Christian stepped into view she gasped. “What the fuck happened, Chris? Did you get in a fight again?”

“No, not this time. Some assholes from school attacked me, three on one.”

“Jesus! Who?”

Christian glanced away. “No one, just some jerks who thought they’d have a bit of fun.”

“Don’t give me that! It was those football bullies, wasn’t it? When are you going to stand up for yourself and report them?”

“What’s the school do about it? They’ve never done anything to me on school property!”

“I don’t care! If you don’t report them I’ll make sure mom and dad do!”

“Can we please not do this here?” Christian’s eyes slid to Tommy and Nicole seemed to remember where they were.

“Sorry,” she muttered, looking apologetically at the young demon.

“It’s ok,” Tommy assured her, slightly embarrassed to have witnessed an argument between two people, one he barely knew, the other he’d just met.

“Can we go now?” asked Christian. “I kinda wanna go lie down somewhere more comfortable than a couch.”

Nicole nodded. “It was nice to meet you Tommy. I’ll see you around I’m sure.”

“It was nice to meet you too.”

“Thanks again, Tommy. I’ll see you at school on Monday.”

“No problem. Take care of yourself.”

There was an awkward pause and then they headed out the door, and Christian was waving from the front seat of the car. Tommy waved back before closing the door, letting out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, and going back to the living room to put on one of the movies he’d rented. He woke up hours later, stiff from falling asleep in an awkward position. With a sigh he turned the TV off and dragged himself up to his room. Within minutes he was asleep again, but his dreams were fractured and disturbing, the image of Christian, curled on the ground burned into his mind.

***

Monday morning found Tommy running up the steps of the school, already out of breath and late. He threw the doors open and skidded down the hall and up another flight of stairs to his locker. When he reached it he stopped, surprised. Leaning there, oh so casually, as though he hadn’t been beaten bloody just two days ago, was Christian.

“Um…hi.” Tommy was a little disconcerted. He was pretty sure that the other boy’s advisor class was downstairs, on the other side of the school, and then bell had gone at least ten minutes ago.

“Hey. I just wanted to thank you properly for helping me on Saturday, and to see if I could treat you to a movie the Friday.” He smiled, wide and hopeful, eyes crinkling at the corners, and Tommy couldn’t say no. So, the end of the week found him sitting in the movie theatre with another boy, a big bag of popcorn between them, and a drink clutched in his hand. As the opening credits rolled across the screen he glanced over at Christian. The other boy looked so relaxed and happy, but for some reason Tommy just wanted to chew his nails as nerves waged a war inside him. As though he could sense something amiss, Christian turned his head, and locked eyes with Tommy. A slight smile curved his lips as he reached up and pulled Tommy’s hand away from his mouth.

“That’s why we bought popcorn, man.”

Tommy laughed, nerves flaring even more. His eyes widened as Christian gabbed a piece of said popcorn and held it up to him. Opening his mouth slightly he allowed the other boy to push the snack between his lips, fingers gentle. He did this several more times, and Tommy began to relax, giggling a little. Christian smiled in a satisfied sort of way and leaned back, taking the other boy’s hand in his and twining their fingers together. Tommy stiffened, but as Christian’s thumb stroked out a soothing rhythm he relaxed again. He risked another glance over, and saw sparkling, mischievous eyes looking back at him.

“Another secret for us to keep,” whispered Christian, and thus began a romance that would last until they graduated, and, when it was through, would fade to a friendship that would last their entire lives.


	4. The Cat is Out of the Bag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein Tommy is discovered...and there are sexy times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ignore the incredibly corny chapter titles. I fail a little. I hope you enjoy! Comments and concrit feed the muse, and right now she's HUNGRY!!! (in other words, I have writers block :P)

Burbank, California  
April, 1996

Tommy stared at the piece of paper in front of him, sighing in frustration. He was supposed to be writing “something creative, something beautiful, something you!” as the teacher had put it, but when he searched his mind for inspiration he came up blank. So far all he had was his name, scrawled untidily at the top of the page.

As he sat there, shifting his eyes to the bright, sun drenched world outside the classroom window, the sounds of the students began to press down on him: Gum chewing, loud breathing, throat clearing, pencils and pens scratching across paper, general shifting about, and over and through it all was the ever persistent sound of the ticking clock. A low growl started in his throat and he could feel his claws slip out as he clenched his fists. The noise grew and grew, battering him from all sides. With a sound that was more cat than human he pushed his chair back and jumped to his feet, ignoring the students he had startled as he muttered an excuse to leave the classroom.

Out in the hall he relaxed a bit, but it wasn’t until he was in the safety of the bathroom that he let out a sigh of relief and allowed his claws to retract.

“I really gotta get these animal reactions under control,” he muttered. “Someone’s gonna notice sooner or later and this shithole is bad enough without everyone knowing I’m a demon freak.” huffing out a breath he peered at himself in the mirror.

“Talking to yourself again, Demoni?”

He jumped and whirled around, hissing in surprise. He hadn’t noticed that anyone else was in the washroom.

“Jesus Christ!”

Cristian’s familiar laugh filled the room, bouncing off the tiled walls. “You know, for a boy who’s part cat you really aren’t very observant.”

Tommy rolled his eyes and turned back to the mirror. “Yeah, well I was a little stir crazy and shook up from being locked in a fucking classroom with kids who don’t know how to be quiet.”

“The noise again?”

“Yeah. I hate it! And I’m pretty sure they all think I’m crazy by now.”

Cristian smiled sympathetically and slid up behind him, wrapping his arms around the demon’s waist, stroking his abdomen soothingly until he felt him relax.

“Mmm…” Tommy purred out his pleasure as Christian rubbed his belly. Before long he felt the stirrings of arousal, every stroke spiking it higher.

“It’s so easy to turn you on, Demoni,” Cristian whispered against his ear, warm breath making Tommy shudder.

“Shut up,” he said, but there was no venom in the words.

“You love it though, don’t you?” questioned the other boy, hand slipping under Tommy’s shirt. “All those people out there…someone could walk in at any minute…see you begging for it.”

Tommy shuddered and moaned. Cristian knew how to get under his skin in the best of ways. As the hand crept higher, sly fingers finding sensitive nipples, and soft lips latched onto his bared throat, he couldn’t take any more. He was achingly hard and his arousal was warring with his nerves, the fear of being caught.

“Let me see you. Show me your claws, kitty.” He turned Tommy around, lifting him up onto the sink, pressing between his legs as his other hand moved up to take the demon’s hat off.

Tommy’s breath hitched and his claws slipped out, almost unintentionally. It was nothing new, what they were doing, but it had never been initiated in such a public place.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were an exhibitionist?” he murmured, tangling his fingers in Cristian’s hair, scratching lightly at his scalp as he pulled him in for a kiss.

The other boy smiled against his lips, pressing closer, one hand moving up to fondle the cat ears, the other slipping down a smooth back, dipping into the top on Tommy’s pants. It got the desired reaction: Tommy gasped and shifted, unconsciously moving closer to those exploring fingers.

“Fuck! Cris, we really shouldn’t be doing this here…” he trailed off on a moan as Cristian moved his hand down from his ears and placed it on the bulge in the front of his pants, rubbing softly, torturously. It was almost too much simulation, and Tommy was shaking, trying to control his reactions. He was on the edge, teetering precariously, when Cristian suddenly pulled away, smirking.

“You’re right, we shouldn’t.”

Tommy whined. “Please Cris, please…” he dropped his own hand to his crotch, bucking up as he applied just the right pressure. He watched the other boy’s eyes widen, pupils blown, and bit his lip, trying to hold the sounds in. He was almost there, panting, and Cristian was back between his legs, whispering dirty promises, when the door flew open. There was a startled silence, then fear gripped Tommy’s heart. They’d been caught. He’d been caught. And there was nothing hot about it. Desperately he reached for his hat, only to realize it had fallen to the floor.

“Shit!”

Cristian had stepped back, pressing himself against the wall as though hoping to avoid detection. He needn’t have bothered. The intruder’s eyes were riveted to Tommy, taking in all that was unnatural: the ears, the claws, the fangs that had slipped out as some sort of last defence. Then, without a word he turned and ran from the bathroom, Tommy hot on his heels.

“Wait! Please wait!” Luckily the halls were quiet and he caught up quickly, gripping the boy’s shoulder to stop him. “Please, you can’t tell anyone!”

“Let go of me, freak!” Tommy dropped his hand. “What’s a little faggot freak like you gonna do to stop me, huh?”

“Make that two faggot freaks.” Cristian had joined them.

“Fuck you!”

“Listen!” Tommy said desperately. “If you keep your mouth shut I promise I’ll do whatever you want!”

“I don’t need anything from the likes of you, demon!” the boy spat. “And you!” he rounded on Cristian. “You’re just as sick! How fucked up do you have to be to get off fucking a freak like him?”

“Leave him out of this!” yelled Tommy at the same time as Cristian retorted with “He’s my boyfriend, asshole!”

By that time their fight had attracted attention. Students were staring blatantly, and teachers were hurrying towards them.

“Break it up! That’s enough! Stand down, all of you!”

Tommy growled, baring his fangs and hissing at the boy who had discovered them.

“Now what’s going on here?” demanded the teacher.

The boy spoke up first. “He - he’s a demon! A freak! I saw them! They’re both sick!”

“That’s not true!” said Cristian indignantly. “We’re not sick! There’s nothing wrong with being gay! And so fucking what if he’s a demon! What’s he ever done to hurt you? Huh? What’s he ever done? Nothing!”

“He shouldn’t be allowed to live with normal people!”

“Fuck you!”

“That’s enough! Detention! All of you! Now get to class before I expel you all!”

Tommy was outraged and scared beyond belief. No one was supposed to find out, especially not like that. It was supposed to be a secret and now the whole school would know and no one, not even Cristian, would want anything to do with him. Without thinking he took off, tearing through the hallways, ignoring the angry shouts of the teachers, and Cristian calling his name desperately. He didn’t care if he got into even more trouble; if he stayed something bad was going to happen.

Running blindly, not thinking of where he was going, just wanting to get away, he ended up in the park. The place where it all began. His emotions were bubbling over, out of his control as he sank to his knees, the world spinning worse than when he broke into his parent’s liquor cabinet and got wasted with Cris. Distantly he could hear his boyfriend’s voice, but the words weren’t getting through. His breath came in short gasps and his hands hit the ground as he doubled over. The pain running through him was unimaginable and uncontrollable. In the back of his mind he knew he needed to calm down but even that thought left him as the agony took over.

“Tommy! Demoni, what’s wrong? What’s happening?” Cristian knelt beside his crumpled boyfriend, worry lining his eyes as whimpers of pain escaped his lips.

Tommy looked up blindly, and Cris gasped. The demon’s lips were curled back, revealing sharp feline teeth. His eyes were rolled fully back in his head, showing nothing but white, and as the other boy watched in fear his features began to change. Slowly his human body twisted and shifted, stretching and morphing as he cried out in agony. Muscles contracted, skin was slowly covered in shiny, soft black fur, and when the transformation was complete what looked to be a kitten of some sort lay on the ground in front of Cristian. The Felino Diavolo had just had his first shape shifting experience, brought on under duress and out of his control.

Tentatively Cristian reached out to touch the kitten, and was rewarded with a hiss and a flurry of teeth and claws.

“What the hell? Tommy, are you in there? If you are, what the fuck was that for?”

The kitten stumbled backwards as though shocked by the boy’s anger. Cris immediately felt bad.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.” He held out his hand. “C’mon kitty, don’t be afraid.” The kitten bared it’s teeth in an imitation of a snarl and Cris laughed. “I’m sorry! You’re just way too adorable to be scary!” The kitten pounced. “Jesus! Calm down! Tommy, I know you’re in there somewhere, and we need to get you back to your human form, ok? Can you do that?” The kitten mewled helplessly, and tilted his head in a sort of “I don’t know” gesture. “Well, you have to at least try. How about we get you home first though. I don’t think you should shift in the middle of the park again, especially since you don’t seem to have much control over it. We don’t need your screaming to bring any more unwanted attention to us. C’mon, I’ll carry you.” He scooped the kitten up before he could get away, and held on tightly. “Don’t even think about using those teeth or claws or I swear to god I’ll give you a bath or something!”

When they got to Tommy’s house Cris let himself in, glad there was no one else home. He didn’t think he could handle explaining what had happened. Not before Tommy was back to being…well, Tommy. Still cradling the kitten in his arms he made his way upstairs to the familiar bedroom.

“Ok,” he muttered, placing the kitten on the bed. “How should we do this?” The kitten just stared at him. “Right. Well, we gotta start somewhere. Look at me, focus on me and my voice. I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing, but I think we can figure this out together. So focus, I know you can do this. You don’t want to stay like this forever. You were swamped by emotions the first time, so hopefully the switch back will be less painful since you’re in a non-threatening place and there’s no pressure. I know you’re still…Tommy…somewhere in there is the boy I’m in love with.” The kitten twitched at these words, and slowly, oh so slowly the change started. The fur began to melt away, everything grew, twisting and elongating, stretching and shifting back into human form. Within minutes a naked Tommy was sitting on the bed beside Cristian, looking at him strangely.

“You -” he croaked, swallowing a few times before he could speak properly. “You’re in love with me?”

Cristian blushed, and stared down at his hands. “So you can understand what I’m saying when you’re a cat.”

Tommy nodded. “And I love you too. I’m glad you were there when I shifted. Thank you for staying” He leaned over, cupping the other boy’s chin in his hand and pressing their lips together. When they parted he backed away. “We need to talk though.”

Cristian sighed and nodded, moving back until he could lean against the wall.

“Things aren’t going to be the same anymore. By tomorrow everyone at school will know what I am, and you’re going to get hated on by association. I’ll understand if you want to distance yourself or whatever, and I won’t hold it against you. In fact, I wouldn’t blame you at all if you never wanted to speak to me again. High school is hellish enough without being branded as a freak because of who you love. I just hope you know how much you and your friendship has meant to me.”

“Shut up Demoni! I’m not going anywhere. Even if I ended things and walked away and never talked to you again they’d still label me as a freak. And even if we hadn’t been discovered I’d still stand by you. You’re my best friend. My boyfriend. And I wouldn’t give that away for anything, especially not petty high school assholes.”

Tommy smiled, tears welling in his eyes. “Thank you.”

“Don’t go all mushy on me, man!” Cristian rolled his eyes but they weren’t completely dry either.

“Shut it, fucker!” Tommy grinned.

“Oh, so that’s how you wanna play it?”

“How else? You know that’s how I like it!”

Within moments the demon found himself willingly pinned under the boy.

“So, are you going to finish what you started in the bathroom earlier?”


End file.
